The famous bar that has served as the hub of Coronation Street’s community since its founding, The Rovers Return, is presently boarded up and deserted.
And no one is more hurt by this than Iain Macleod, Corrie’s supervisor.
“It felt almost like a death to close it,” he said. For me, it truly matters almost as much as any individual who would have suffered unjustly at the hands of Todd Boyce’s Stephen Reid. It was terrifying to think that the bar was boarded up, and it was much more shocking to walk up the lot and discover that it was. It was like a dagger to the heart.
Newton and Ridley, the original brewing chain, saved the pub from financial collapse lately, however they were later acquired by Waterford Incorporated. It wasn’t long before Waterford’s decided to close the bar and undergo major renovations.
As they saw the windows being boarded up, Jenny (Sally Ann Matthews) and her staff were left saddened by the loss of their employment and homes. Additionally, there’s a distinct feeling that something is lacking in Weatherfield without those iconic Rovers moments.
Fortunately, though, those famous doors will soon open once more, albeit there will undoubtedly be drama around them as is typical with Corrie.
We heard more from Iain. He made fun of the fact that the circumstances surrounding its reopening are all related to Stephen’s legacy. “It reopens on New Year’s Eve, I think,” he said.
“To obtain the keys to the pub and reopen it, someone will do something that is, at best, naughty and, at worst, slightly criminal.”
He clarified that this lays the groundwork for consequences that will surface later in the new year.
“Let’s say that the reopening of it will be predicated on this somewhat shaky foundation of a criminal act.” Because everything is focused on this wrongdoing that they did around the end of the year, I assume that viewers will be wondering what catastrophe would befall the person who permitted that to happen.
What the Rovers will look like when it eventually reopens is another question that spectators will be pondering. Has Waterford imposed a shiny new appearance? Will Betty’s picture remain prominently displayed?
Iain MacLeod was there again to provide some consolation. He assured me that it wouldn’t appear drastically different. Oh my.
Though I’m not saying they should never change, I believe there are some setups that I wouldn’t want to see updated, gastropubified, or transformed into a chain bar.
“I do feel like the Rover’s decor is going to be updated a bit, like I feel weirdly protective of Deirdre’s wallpaper at number one.” However, overall, I quite enjoy how it now looks and feels. It will thus reopen with a very identical appearance.
It will thus have a similar appearance, but it might not be a location you can go to unwind just yet.
“Its ownership circumstances will be much more delicate,” Iain brought it up.
We were not interested in it simply opening up again and acting as if nothing had occurred. We intended for it to reveal a type of hidden bomb beneath it, which we plan to detonate at a later date in the year.
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